Ironing machine



Oct. 17, 1933. -J. GORDON Q IRONING MACHINE Filed Nov. 28, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 1-,930,soo

J. GORDON IRONING MACHINE Oct. 17, 1933.

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 28 1927 Oct. 17, 1933. J. GORDON VIRONING MACHINE Filed Nov. 28, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 jziaacuo/ T 5 6 M W y) K MU nv a L O 5. NV W wk L 0 o w 1 0ct. 17, 1933. J GQRDQN 1,930,800

IRONING MACHINE Filed Nov. 28 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I g g milk 2M4 WW lg/wsl Patented Get. l7, 1%33 UNITED STATES PATE Nr oFFic Application November 28, 1927 Serial No. 236,077

13 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in ironing machines, and has for its principal object to provide a simple and durable construction for devices of the character described, relatively light in weight so as to be readily portable and of the type capable of being supported on the top of an ordinary table,- and when not in use to be tipped up on end.

The present invention furthermore comprises improvements in the form of machine broadly disclosed in my prior Patents 1,745,162 patented January 28, 1930, and 1,795,023 patented March 3, 1931.

The. invention may best be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a rear view of an ironing machine constructed in accordance with my. invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan'view of the machine shown in Figure 1 but with the gear casing cover removed and a portion of the roller end shoe omitted.

Figure 3 is an enlarged section taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

25 Figure 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure Figure 2.

Figure Figure 2. 4 1

Figure 7 is an outline view of the machine showing how it is capable of being tipped up on end when not in use.

Referring now to details shown in the drawings, the main elements of the machine comprise a gear housing 10 at one end thereof, a roller 11 and a. shoe 12 coacting with said roller. As shown herein, the roller is of. the drum type provided with the usual fabric cover and suitably supported on the main roller shaft 19.- Said shaft is preferably hollow and has bearing on opposite sides of the gear housing 10 as will more fully appear.

The shoe 12 comprises a casing 13 preferably formed of sheet metal and having the usual heating element therein adjacent the heating surface member 14. The heating elements may be of any suitable construction, as for instance thatdisclosed in my prior Patent 1,795,023. The 50 shoe is supported on a single centrally disposed bracket 15 on the-outer end of a shoe actuating 5 is a section taken on line 5-5 of 0 6 is a section taken on line 66 of shaft 20 projecting from the gear casing 10 to the rear and beneath the roller, and having.

an auxiliary supporting bracket .16 loosely mounted in pendant position adiacent its outer end, as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 5. Legs 17, 17 support the gear housing 10, preferably spaced from the outer end surface 10 as shown in Figures 1 and 7, so that the entire machine can be readily tipped up on its end surface 10 when not inyuse, as shown in Figure 7. A main lever arm 18 on shaft 20 has its outer end connected by a pivot pin 19 to a toggle link 21 which in turn is pivotally connected at 22 to the bracket 15 supporting the shoe. Integral with said link 21 is a safety lever arm 23 extending upwardly therefrom and forming a safety unlocking device to release pressure upon the shoe in case of emergency, as is broadly disclosed in my Patent 1,795,023 hereinabove referred to. The lower end of the main lever arm 18 is bifurcated and is rigidly secured at the outer end of the shoe operating shaft 20 as by means of pins 25, 25.

One of the features of the present is the provision of a novel connecting means between the shoe operating shaft 20 and the shoe itself whereby the position of the shoe relative to the roller is controlled during the movements of the shoe toward and away from the latter. As shown in Figures 1 and 5,-this controlling action comprises an auxiliary shoe supporting connection including a pair of links 26, 26, and a link 27, the rearmost pair of links 26, 26, being pivotally connected at the rear of the main lever arm 18 adjacent its outer end and curved downwardly and forwardly between the bifurcated arms of the latter, where they are pivotally connected to the forward link 2'7 which in turn is pivotally connected to a lug 30, projecting outwardly from the supporting bracket 16 (see Figure 5). A leaf spring 31 or its equivalent is carried on the inner ends of links 26, 26, adjacent the shoe 12, and extends forwardly over link 27.

When the shoe 12 is in retracted position, as

. shown in Figure 5, the lower portion of the shoe rests upon the spring 31 carried by levers 26', 26, but when the shoe is moved toward the roller by rocking the shoe shaft 20, the auxiliary levers 26 and 27 are also swung forwardly, with the spring 31 still in contact with the shoe, so as to bring the heating surface 14 thereof into substantially concentric relation with the roller as it is moved into engagement therewith, as shown in 105 dotted lines in Figure 5.

' It will be noted, however, that the safety lever arm.23 and toggle link 21 are free to be swung upwardly. to release pressure upon the shoe in all positions of the latter, since the lower por- 1-10 invention 75 tion of the shoe merely rests in sliding engagement upon the spring 31.

Referring now to the main operating mechanism contained within the gear casing 10, said mechanism functions in a manner somewhat similar to the operating mechanism disclosed in my two copending applications hereinabove mentioned, but includes several improvements in construction as will now be pointed out.

A motor 40 preferably of the electric type, is disposed at the rear end of the main gear casing 10 and is provided with an armature shaft 41 suitably connected to a drive shaft 42 extending horizontally into said motor casing and journaled in an'upstanding bracket 43. A worm 44 is secured on the forward end of shaft 42 by suitable means, such as a pin 45, and is meshed with a. worm wheel 46. Suitable thrust bearing 43 is interposed between worm 44 and bracket 43. The worm wheel 46 is provided with an elongated hub 47 having suitable bearings on the roller shaft 19, in the improved form shown herein said bearings consisting of a plurality of elongated rollers 48, 48, extending the length of hub 4'7, as is best shown in Figures 4 and 6. At one end of the worm wheel hub 4'7 is carried a toothed gear or ratchet wheel; which may be threaded or otherwise secured upon the end of the worm wheel hub 4'7, as clearly shown in Figure 6. Adjacent the ratchet wheel 50 is mounted an eccentric 51 with its center bearing journaled upon a sleeve 52 loosely mounted on the outer end of shaft 19. Said sleeve has external bearing in a boss 53 formed on the outer wall of the gear casing 10, the arrangement being such that the sleeve 52 in turn forms a journal bearing for the outer end of the roller shaft 19, as is clearly shown in Figure 6. The shaft 19 is afforded bearing on the opposite side of the casing 10 by a sleeve 55 fitting in hollow boss 56, so as to permit bodily endwise removal of the roller shaft 19, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

The cam 51 forms a part of the mechanism for actuating the shoe 12 by power of the motor in the following manner: A pawl 60 is pivotally mounted on pin 62 carried by eccentric 51, said I pawl being in position to have one end 63 engage the ratchet wheel 50. The opposite end 64 of said pawl is turned outwardly from the toothed wheel 50 in position to be engaged by suitable tripping devices, serving to move the pawl out of operative engagement with the wheel, :as will hereinafter more fully appear. A relatively light spring 62 coiled about pin 62 and connected to pawl 60 tends to holdthe latter in engagement with ratchet wheel 50.

An eccentric member 65 bears on the periphery of eccentric 51, and has rearwardly extending arms 6666 connected thereto, these arms straddling a lever arm 6'7 which is fixed on and forms the main operating lever for the shoe shaft 20. Limited tension means is provided for connecting the ends of arms 66 to the lever 6'7 which herein consists of a link 68 pivoted on pin 69 at its lower end and curving upwardly. and rearwardly in the form of a modified bell crank lever, pivotally connected intermediate its ends to lever arm 67 on pin '70. In the form shown, the link 68 is substantially U-shape in lengthwise section, as is best shown in Figure 2, with its two sides straddling the lever arm 67, as is best seen in Figures 2 and 3. A tension member is connected between the lever arm 6'7 and the link 68 adjacent the free end of the latter,

in the form shown this tension member consisting of a U-shape bar '71 having its lower arched portion engaged in a notch '72 formed in the lever arm 67, and its two free. ends projecting upwardly through a cross bar '73 engaged in a seat 74 formed in the upper surface of the link 68 adjacent the free end of the latter. A pair of coiled springs '75, '75, are interposed between the cross bar '73 and a cross bar '76 adjacent the upper ends of the U-shape member '71, and suitably secured on the latter .-as by threaded nuts 77. The springs '75, '75, are normally under tension tending to force the free end of link 68 against the shoulder '78 formed on the inner side of link 6'7 opposite pivot pin '70 which connects it with link 68. The operation of the limited tension means just described will be manifest from Figure 3 in which the parts are shown with the shoe in retracted position from the roller. It will be seen that the link 68 and lever arm 67 form two legs of a triangle of which the U-shaped member forms a third side. When the eccentric is rotated through an angle of 180 degrees, the arms 66 are moved forwardly, which carries the link 68 and lever arm 6'7 therewith. the latter arm, of course, rotating about the axis of shoe shaft 20. As soon as resistance is met by the shoe 12 on shaft 20, the link 68 tends to rock on its pivot pin '70 relative to the arm 67, and increase the tension of springs '75, '75, with the extreme end 74a of seat '74 tending to raise plate '73. Further pivotal movement of link 68 relative to arm 6'7 causes springs '75, '75, to yield, so that the extreme end 74a of link 68 slides inwardly on plate I3 until a position is reached where point 74a is in line with the center of U-bolt '71. In this position no additional tension of the springs will be transmitted to the shoe, but further relative movement of the parts after point 74a has passed the center line of U-bolt '71 at a rapidly increasing angle to plate '73 will tend to maintain, without further appreciable increase, tension on said shoe. It will therefore be understood that the mechanism just described serves to Iimitthe amount of tension applicable to the shoe shaft and shoe to a predetermined amount. The initial tension upon springs '75 may be readily adjusted by means of nuts '77, '77, which will in turn control the amount of tension finally applicable to the shoe 12. This feature is especially advantageous in case material of excessive thickness is fed to the machine, in which case it will be seen that the limit of tension may be reached and exceeded without stalling the machine, whereas with materials of normal thicknesses, the tension varies substantially in proportion to the several thicknesses.

It will be observed, that with the eccentriccontrolled movement of the shoe as above described, said shoe is positively moved both toward and away from theroller.

Referring now in greater detail to the means for controlling the driving connection between ratchet wheel 50 and pawl 60 to drive the eccentric 51, the means herein' provided comprises a tripping arm 85 which is pivoted to the casin 10 by pin 86 so as to be swung in a substantial horizontal plane, as isbest shown in Figures 2 and 3. This tripping arm has bifurcated ends 87, 8'7, extending on opposite sides and spanning the roller shaft 19 adjacent the path of movement of pawl 60. These bifurcated ends each carry thereon a projection 88 turned inwardly toward the pawl 60 in position to engage the outer ends 64 thereof when the latter is rotated aeaaeoo into contact therewith and thus cause the pawl 1 to rock against tension of spring 62a and disengears are in mesh.

gage its opposite end 63 from ratchet wheel 50.

It will be observed that the projections 88, 88, are arranged substantially at 180 from each other with the result that the eccentric will not only be automatically disconnected from driving engagement with ratchet wheel 50, as just described, but the rotation of said eccentric will be automatically stopped when the end 64 of pawl 60 engages one or the other of the projections 88, 88. Furthermore, as clearly shown in Figure 3, the stops 88, 88, are arranged so that driving engagement is disconnected in one position with the eccentric in its rearmost position so as to open the shoe, while the lower stop 88 is in position to stop rotation of the eccentric 51 when it is moved a half revolution from the position shown in the latter figure, in which case it will be understood that the shoe is in fully engaged position.

in order to insure complete disengagement of pawl 60 from ratchet wheel 50, I mount a light spring 89 on the-end64 of said pawl so that said spring initially engages either one of stops 88, 88, when said pawl is rotated in engagement therewith. Spring 89 is thus placed under sufficient tension to raise the opposite end 63 of said pawl out of engagement with ratchet wheel 50, whereupon tension upon spring 89 will be somewhat relieved, but will still be sufiicient to hold the opposite end 63 outwardly against the tension of its spring 62a, and out of engagement with ratchet wheel 50.

By reason of the pivotal mounting of tripping arm on vertical axis, as described, it

y will be observed that the tripping projections 88 may be swung out of the path of movement of end 64 of pawl 60, in which case the end 63 of said pawl will be free to engage any one of the notches on the ratchet wheel 50 and thus cause the eccentric -51 to be rotated. In the form shown, operation of the tripping lever 85 is controlled from the exterior of the casing by means of a handle 90'arranged on the top of said casing and having shaft 91 extending down: wardly through bearing 92 and provided with a lever 93 with a slot 94 which fits over an end member 95 forming a part of tripping lever 85.

The roller is also driven from worm gear wheel 4%, as will now be described. A pinion is mounted on the end of gear hub 47 on the opposite end from ratchet wheel 50 and is rigidly fixed thereon as by threading the same. A larger gear 101 is fixed on shaft 19 adjacent gear 100, as is best shown in Figure 6. Any suitable means for fixing said gear on said shaft -may be provided, preferably by pin 102. A

spacing sleeve 97 is interposed between the hub of gear 101 and shaft bearing 55. Two cooperating gears 103 and 104 are mounted on a rocking am 105. The gear 103, being the larger of the two, is arranged to mesh with pinion 100,

while the smaller gear 104 is adapted to mesh with gear 101. The arm 105 is pivotally mounted at the forward end of the casing on pin 106, as is best shown. in Figure 4, the arrangement being such that by vertical rocking movement of said arm the gears 103 and 104 aremoved into and out of engagement with gears 100 and 101 respectively, thereby giving a double reduction gear connectionbetween pinion 100 and gear 101 for driving the roller whenall of the Means for controlling the driving connections just described comprises a lever arm 107 fixed on the shoe shaft 20 and projecting upwardly therefrom, this lever arm having a projection 108 laterally from its upper end riding on a cam surface 109 on arm 105. When the parts are in the position shown in Figure 4 with the shoe disengaged, the projection 108 is on the uppermost part of the cam surface 109 so as to hold the gears 103 and 104 out of operative connection, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. It will be understood, however, that when the eccentric 51 is rotated through an arc of 180 so as to effect rocking the shoe shaft forwardly into engaging position with the roller, the projection 108 will move forwardly so as to permit the arm 105 to swing upwardly under tension of the spring 110 and thus carry the gears 103 and 104 into driving engagement with gears 100 and 101 respectively. It will thus be clear that whenever the shoe 12 is rocked rearwardly out of cooperative engagement with the roller, the driving connection to the roller is automatically broken, and conversely when the shoe is actuated so as to be brought into contact with the roller and driving connection is again automatically made so as tov positively drive the roller.

The arrangement whereby the position of the shoe 12 controls the operative connection for the roller is especially advantageous in case excessively thick material is placed between the roller and the shoe. In this case the shoe and its coperative lever arm 107 may beforced away from the roller sufliciently to automatically by engagement discontinue the roller driving connections due to the depression of arm 105 of projection 108 on cam surface 109.

The various cycles of operation of the machine will already be sufficiently understood from the foregoing description, from which it will. appear that a machine functions generally in the same manner as the machines disclosed in my prior patents, hereinabove referred to, but with improvements in the specific mechanism for performing such functions.

Summarizing the more important features of improvement herein disclosed, it may be pointed out that the movement of the shoe relative to the roller is more positively controlled so as to be brought into engagement therewith while the heating surface is substantially in concentrlcrelation with said roller, the shoe being moved positively in both directions. Tension upon the shoe is limited to a predetermined amount. The pawl and ratchet connections for the shoe are positively disengaged through action of spring 89 so as to eliminate possibility of clicking noises which otherwise might be caused by riding of the pawl 60 upon ratchet wheel 50.

The entire gearing mechanism is greatly simplified by'mounting most all of the gears upon a single shaft and all of the moving parts being arranged in especially simple and compact form so as to bereadily assembled and disassembled. The entire gear mounting on shaft 19 is capable of disassembling by simply removing pin 102 which holds gear 101 on shaft 19, and removing bearing sleeve 55 from the end of boss 56.

This permits shaft 19 to be withdrawn laterally of gravity of the entire machine (most of the weight being centered in the gear case and motor) so that the machine ismuch better balanced and can be more readily tipped into upright position and down again, without danger of injury or breakage by accidental dropping of the roller end.

Although I have shown and described the particular embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the constructions shown and described, but that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. In an ironing machine, a roller and a coacting shoe, power operated means for moving said shoe relative to said roller comprising a rocking lever connected to said shoe and means for rocking said lever including a tension vice and means responsive to the position oi said lever for limiting the degree of tension transmitted to said lever-through said tension device.

2. In an ironing machine, a roller and a coacting shoe, power operated means'for moving said shoe relative to said roller comprising a rocking lever connected to said shoe and means for rocking said lever including a tension device and means responsive to the relative positions of said rocking means and said lever for limiting the degree of tension transmitted to said lever through said tension device.

3. In an ironing machine, a casing, a motor, a roller having a shaft, a coacting shoe, said roller and shoe both being actuated by said motor through gearing including a common drive gear, an eccentric optionally connected with said drive gear for actuating said shoe, and gear reduction mechanism for driving said roller including a driving pinion; said common drive gear, eccentric and driving pinion all being mounted loosely on said roller shaft, and a roller drive gear fixed on said roller shaft and having disconnectible operative connection with said roller drive pinion.

4. In an ironing machine, a casing, a motor, a roller having a shaft, a coacting shoe, said roller and shoe both being actuated by said motor through gearing including a common drive gear, an eccentric and a ratchet wheel and pawl aifording optional driving connections for actuating said shoe, and gear reduction mechanism for driving said roller including a. driving inion; said common drive gear, eccentric, ratchet wheel and driving pinion all being mounted loosely on said roller shaft, and a roller drive gear fixed on said roller shaft and having optional operative connection with said roller drive pinion.

5. In an ironing machine, a casing, a motor, a roller having a shaft, a coacting shoe, said roller and shoe both being'actuated by said motor through gearing including a common drive gear, an ecentric adapted to be optionally driven by said drive gear for actuating said shoe, and gear reduction mechanism for driving said roller including a driving pinion; said common drive gear, eccentric and driving pinion all being mounted loosely on said roller shaft, a roller drive gear fixed on said roller shaft and having optional operative connection with said roller drive pinion, and bearing means for said roller shaft at opposite sides of said casing permitting endwise insertion or removal of said shaft relative to the above mentioned parts mounted thereon when said roller drive gear is disconnected therefrom. I

6. In an ironing machine, a roller having a. shaft, and a coacting shoe, a motor driven pinion loosely mounted on said roller shaft, a gear fixed on said shaft, and drive connections between said pinion and said gear including two intermediate gears carried on a rocking arm adjacent said roller shaft and means responsive to the position of said shoe for moving said gears into and out of engagement, respectively, with said pinion and said roller gear.

7. In an ironing machine, a roller and a coacting shoe, a support, an arm on said support and connected to said shoe, said arm constituting the main power-applying element therefor, and auxiliary shoe-supporting means including a system of levers connected between said support and said arm for maintaining said shoe in 95 substantially concentric relation with said roller when moved into and out of engagement therewith.

8. In anironing machine,'a roller and a coacting shoe, a support, an arm pivoted on said support and connected to said shoe, said arm constituting the main power-applying element therefor, and auxiliary shoe-supporting means including a system of levers connected between said support and said arm and slidably supporting said shoe for maintaining said shoe in substantially concentric relation with said roller when moved into and out of engagement therewith.

9. In an ironing machine, a roller and a coacting shoe, a support, an arm pivoted on said support and connected to said shoe, said arm constituting the main power-applying element therefor, and auxiliary shoe-supportingmeans including a system of levers connected between said support and said arm and including a spring slidably engageable with said shoe for maintain-'- ing said shoe in substantially concentric relation with said roller when moved into and out of engagement therewith.

10. In an ironing machine, a roller and a coacting shoe, a support, an arm pivoted on said support and connected to said shoe with pivoted link means forming an emergency release, said arm constituting the main power-applying ele- 125 ment therefor, and auxiliary shoe-supporting means including a system of levers connected between said support and said arm and slidably supporting said shoe for maintaining said shoe in substantially concentric relation with said 130 roller when moved into and out of engagement therewith.

11. In an ironing machine, a roller and a coacting shoe, a support, an arm pivoted on said support and connected to said shoe with pivoted 135 link means forming an emergency release, said arm constituting the main power-applying element therefor, and auxiliary shoe-supporting means including a system of levers connected between said support and said arm and including a spring slidably engageable with said shoe for maintaining said shoe in substantially concentric relation with said roller when moved into and out of engagement therewith.

12. In an ironing machine of the portable type, a roller and coacting shoe, a casing at one end of said roller having operative mechanism for said roller and supporting adjacent ends of said roller and shoe, supporting means on said casing projecting therefrom closely adjacent 150 said roller and shoe and spaced from the outside margin of said casing for supporting said machine with said roller in substantially horizontal position, the outside face of the, casing also forming supporting means whereby said machine may be bodily tipped upwardly along the lower outside margin of said casing, and supported with said roller substantially in upright position.

13. In an ironing machine of the portable type, a roller and coacting shoe, a casing at one end of said roller having operative mechanism 

